


Gift Exchange

by the_king_of_brooklyn



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Holidays, M/M, just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 14:23:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17163608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_king_of_brooklyn/pseuds/the_king_of_brooklyn





	Gift Exchange

The apartment was already alive with the sounds and smells of Christmas when Race awoke. The faint sound of holiday music underscored the chatter coming from the kitchen, the aroma of vanilla and cinnamon thick in the air. People were baking, there was no doubt about it. 

Race stretched and yawned as he grabbed his phone from the bedside table. It was almost half past ten, which was much later than their agreed-upon time of nine to wake up and open presents. Albert had already started the day, having left Race to sleep a little longer. Race sighed, then threw on a hoodie before heading out of their room. 

Sure enough, Al was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee, talking over the music to Spot and Elmer, who were bustling around the kitchen. 

“Good morning, sunshine,” Spot greeted him as he walked into the common area. 

“Welcome to the land of the living,” joked Albert. “We only woke up an hour ago ‘cause you said you wanted to do presents at nine.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Race replied. “What’s for breakfast?”

He rounded the corner into the small kitchen, where Spot and Elmer were collaborating on some grand baking project.

“Not breakfast,” Elmer chimed in. “Just making Christmas cookies for when we go to Jack’s.”

The couples had agreed to meet their friends at Jack and Crutchie’s place for a Christmas lunch, everyone volunteering to bring a different part of the meal. Spot and Elmer were on dessert duty, but Race couldn’t remember for the life of him the thing with which he and Albert were charged.

He turned toward his boyfriend in the living room. “Uh, Albie?”

“Yeah, I got it covered,” came the response. “It’s in the fridge. We just gotta microwave it when we get there.”

Race still didn’t remember what “it” was, but he shrugged and assumed Albert did, in fact, have it covered. 

Spot leaned in toward Elmer but made no attempt to lower his voice as he teased, “See? They’re bringing something premade.”

Elmer flicked his boyfriend on the ear. “Stop it. We’re having fun.” He pointed to the counter, which was covered in wax paper and cookie dough. A thin layer of flour coated almost every inch of their workspace. It seemed like their system involved Elmer making the dough into shapes with cookie cutters and Spot laying them on the tray in a somewhat orderly fashion. “You know you’re having fun.”

“So much fun,” he replied with a kiss on Elmer’s cheek. 

Race tore off a piece of the dough and popped it in his mouth as he went for the fridge. 

“Hey!”

He looked back to see Elmer giving him a questioning look, one eyebrow raised and his arms open. “Hey, what?”

“Don’t eat that! You’re gonna get sick!”

“Am not.”

“Are, too!”

“Am not.”

“Are, too! And we’re using that to make cookies!” Elmer advanced on him, wielding a rolling pin as his weapon of choice which he waved in Race’s face. “So… buzz off!”

“Yeah, buzz off!” Spot echoed as he chuckled at Elmer’s attempts to be intimidating. He then also tore off a piece of dough behind his boyfriend’s back and ate it, raising his eyebrows at Race.

Race grabbed a bottle of iced coffee from the fridge and dropped his jaw, the expression dripping with sarcasm. “Hey, how come Spot gets to do it and I can’t?”

Elmer wheeled around, exasperation on his face. “Sean!”

Spot raised his hands in surrender, and a devilish smirk dashed across his face. While Elmer’s back was turned, Race snuck another bite of cookie dough and bounded into the living room. Ignoring Elmer’s further protests, he sat down on the arm of the couch and set a hand on Albert’s head. He ran his fingers through Al’s hair and to the room asked, “Presents?” 

Albert seemed game, but Elmer’s bright voice carried in from the kitchen. “Let us just get this batch in the oven and we can start.”

A couple minutes later three of the four boys were gathered around the living room, presents scattered beneath the small tabletop tree in the corner of the room. Elmer was rustling through a box of Christmas things in his and Spot’s room, insisting they had to have something before they could start on presents. With an “Aha!” he emerged wearing a Santa hat and carrying two pairs of reindeer antlers and a green elf hat. Albert groaned as Elmer handed antlers to both of them then sat on the arm of Spot’s chair. Race gladly donned the antlers, which looked like they were wrapped with Christmas lights, but Albert only begrudgingly put his on. 

Elmer pulled the elf hat onto Spot’s head, only satisfied when the pointy ears were positioned properly and the bell on the end of the hat was set so that it would jingle with every move. Spot was a good sport about it, smirking at his dorky boyfriend and only occasionally rolling his eyes when Elmer decided the hat wasn’t sitting quite right. 

Once Elmer settled down next to Spot, Race piped up, “Hey Santa, can we do presents now?”

Elmer nodded, grabbing the first present from the pile and reading the label. “To Al, from us.” 

They passed the bag around the room to Albert. Inside it was a denim Dodgers baseball cap, faded so that it looked vintage. Al’s eyes lit up in surprise, and Race knew he would get good use out of the gift. “Thanks, guys!” 

The next present was for Spot from Elmer, who blushed as Spot unwrapped a dark reddish-brown bomber jacket and a bag of cinnamon candy. There was also a card, which Spot read silently as a genuine smile crept onto his face. He wrapped an arm around Elmer as he murmured his thanks and kissed him on the cheek. 

Race was the next recipient, his gift from Albert wrapped in blue paper that read “Happy Hanukkah” in silver letters. A matching silver bow sat on the corner of the box.

“Katherine helped me wrap it,” he explained, a red tinge rising in his ears. “She had leftover paper from Hanukkah but that was it.”

Race chuckled as he unwrapped the box, sticking the ribbon on Albert’s head in between his antlers. Al had gotten him a pair of brown boots that Race hoped were faux leather. They were lined inside with sheepskin, sure to keep his feet warm in the cold New York winter. He smiled. He’d told Albert that he would be in need of new boots soon, since his old ones weren’t cutting it after so much use. It warmed Race’s heart to know that Al listened to him as intently as Race listened to Al. 

They continued opening gifts while the cookies baked. Elmer and Spot had given Race a fancy new water bottle, and Spot had gotten his boyfriend a fleece blanket and a vegan cookbook. Race didn’t think Elmer was vegan, but Spot explained that they’d both decided to try to eat more vegan as part of their New Year’s resolution. Race wondered how long that would actually last, but he kept his mouth shut when he saw how excited Elmer was about his gift. 

Al and Race had put their heads together for the others’ gifts, settling on a vinyl record of a band Elmer liked and a cocktail shaker and recipe book for Spot. While Spot rifled through the pages of the book, Elmer, now cozy and wrapped in his new blanket, passed the last gift to Albert. It was Race’s present, one which he had spent a lot of time poring over and contemplating. They had been together for two years and friends for much longer, so Race wanted to get him something nice without getting too sappy or going over budget. 

Al removed the tissue paper from the bag and pulled out a box, furrowing his brow as he tried to discern what it was. Realization dawned on his face and he rolled his eyes when he figured it out — it was a neon wall light that just read “lit” in cursive letters. He sighed sarcastically as he turned the box so Elmer and Spot could see, Race snickering beside him. Spot laughed at Albert’s reaction as Elmer’s phone went off.

“Cookies!” he called as he jumped up from Spot’s lap. He went to the kitchen, still wearing his blanket as a cape as he went to open the oven. Spot followed, the bell on his hat jingling all the way. 

“Thanks, babe,” Al whispered as he pulled Race to his side. 

“That’s not all.”

Al raised an eyebrow then looked back at the bag. He grabbed what he’d thought was a wad of tissue paper and unwrapped it, revealing a small wooden picture frame. Race and Albert’s faces beamed up at him from the photo, a selfie they had taken in Central Park on their second anniversary. Al was half-hiding behind Race, grinning at the camera in genuine ecstasy, and Race was simply beautiful, his eyes shining in the sunlight and his smile alive with blissful delight. The photo brought back memories of that day and Albert’s chest filled with warmth. To tell the truth, he was trying not to cry. He looked up at Race, who seemed like he was fighting the same urge. Race cracked a smile, the look of adoration on his face beyond compare. 

Albert thanked him with a kiss, one that conveyed all the joy and love he felt in that moment. Race melted into it, his hand settling at the nape of Albert’s neck. 

“Stop it, stop it, stop it!”

They broke apart at the sudden yelling, only to see Elmer smacking Spot with a wooden spoon as he ducked out of the kitchen laughing. He had a mouth full of cookie dough, muffling his laughter as Elmer deviously bit his lip and threw a puff of flour at him. Race threw back his head in a bark of laughter as they fought and teased. Albert pulled him closer as they watched their friends get flour all over the apartment, content with his lot in life and thanking whatever deity was listening for the people who cared about him.


End file.
